A 22-year-old Indian athlete, Avani Lekhara etched her name in the chronicles, as the first woman to win two Paralympics gold medals. Securing gold in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event, she accomplished a commendable feat. This achievement has surpassed her own previous record of 249.6 set at the Tokyo Games.  

Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, also honored Avani, during her interview with reporters. She called Avani’s journey inspiring, and everyone should take motivation lessons from the para-athletes.  

In her statement to ANI, Bhaker said, “Avani’s journey has been very inspiring, and the journey of other Paralympians as well. They have overcome their challenges and won the medal for the country. We all need to learn from this. I feel very proud. Congratulations to Avani.” 

Avani has set an array of records, that it is hard to keep track of all. Notably, she is the first Indian to clinch gold medals, consecutively. Additionally, she is the second Indian and the only woman from the nation to earn the Paralympic champion status twice.  

But Avani’s journey was not that easy as it seems to be.  

Avani Lekhara  

Who is Avani Lekhara? 

Born on 8 November 2001 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Avani is pursuing law from Rajasthan University. She received her first gold medal in regional match of shooting, when she was a student in Kendriya Vidyalaya. Just like other youngsters, Avani’s role model is also Abhinav Bindra.  

Avani’s life took a drastic change, at age of 11 when she met with a road accident. The accident left her wheelchair-dependent and her lower half body was completely paralyzed.  

The inspiring tale of Avani Lekhara 

A once happy going girl, was turned into an introverted human. But her father, Parveen, did not lose hope and pushed her towards sports, particularly archery. Her brought to the Jagatpura Shooting Range and gave her a copy of “A Shot at History”, the autobiography of Abhinav Bindra, the Olympic gold medalist.  

The book inspired her a lot and her interest shifted to shooting from archery. She began training in 2015, under the guidance of coach Chandra Shekhar (former air rifle Olympian Suma Shirur). The Sports Authority of India installed a digital target at her home in Jaipur, during the lockdown. The setup helped her in practicing for the 10m air rifle event, as the Tokyo Olympics were approaching.  

The Target Olympic Podium Scheme of the government was a great help for her in covering expenses for international training trips and necessary equipment.  

Triumphs in Sports 

The 19-year-old Avani arrived in Tokyo 2021, with the ambition of securing a medal. She brought home two medals, exceeding her expectations. She clinched a gold in the 10m air rifle and a bronze in the 50m rifle 3P in SH1 classification. SH1 is a category for athletes with physical impairment in lower limbs but who can shoot while standing or sitting.  

Avani is so far the only woman, to bag multiple medals at a single Paralympic Games and remains the only woman with this milestone. Adding more to her achievements, she earned gold medals at both the World Cup and the Asian Paralympic Games in Hangzhou. 

Avani Lekhara’s journey to be on top is nothing but full of influential moments.